


The Blind and the Broken

by AtreyuAuryn



Series: The Old Adventures of RS Mega Man [4]
Category: Mega Man (Cartoon 1994), Rockman | Mega Man - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, I wrote this a really long time ago please forgive how not great it is, Old Fic, people keep telling me this is the best one, sequel to Possessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:41:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26255092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtreyuAuryn/pseuds/AtreyuAuryn
Summary: Dr. Wily's latest scheme has Mega Man and Proto Man trapped underground, damaged, running out of power, and at each other's throats. They'll have to learn to work together to survive, but is there any hope of teamwork with so much bad blood between them?(Direct sequel to Possessions, last to edit of the old RS fic series)
Series: The Old Adventures of RS Mega Man [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1770244
Comments: 8
Kudos: 21





	1. Bad Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> So I realized - naturally by editing this last - that it's a direct sequel to Possessions, not merely loosely connected. >_<
> 
> So in case you'd like to, idk, read things in order, the series goes Possessions -> The Blind and the Broken -> The Gift -> Duo Reasoning. 
> 
> (Russian Roulette is a new series and not tied to this story in any way.)

In a dark and gloomy room of a rather dark and gloomy fortress, two strange figures stood at a large computer console, as mismatched as they were out of place. One of them—Dr. Wily, with his lab-coat, pink shirt, and wild hair—looked better suited to roaming the halls of some prestigious college, tormenting the freshmen. He would, that is, if the gleam in his eye was not so particularly cruel. Next to him stood an armored combat robot, clearly built for battle. He wore an oddly-bright yellow scarf around his neck, the black visor of his helmet unable to hide his bored expression.

"This is my best plan yet, Proto Man!" Dr. Wily cackled, his German accent doing his grating voice no favors.

The red-and-gray robot beside him snorted.

"That's what you said last time," he said, rolling eyes the mad scientist couldn’t see.

The scientist turned around slowly, glaring at Proto. He took a step back, then swore at himself. Giving ground to Wily was something the Robot Masters did, not him, but lately, everything had been off between the two of them. Wily took his disobedience more and more harshly, and in turn, Proto just rebelled more. Something had to be done, but Proto just didn’t know what.

Wily sneered at his Second-in-Command, taking pleasure in his discomfort. Proto had been nothing but trouble recently—and so received the punishments Wily usually reserved for the Robot Masters who failed him. Repair duty, cleaning duty, the mind-numbing job of watching the security cameras—it was obviously working somewhat, but not to the level Wily wanted. Proto Man’s behavior had better change, and soon.

"This plan," he said slowly. “Is my best plan yet. If I can't get that blue dweeb by land, sea or air, I'll get him by ground. _Underground_ , that is."

Proto merely frowned. "Haven't you already tried that?" he asked, keeping his voice mutual.

Wily grinned. "This time will be different. The Sonic Obliterator I stole while you were distracting your brother will do the job much better than any drill. I could collapse an entire city in seconds! Not to mention any opposition."

The old man yawned, his rant dying. "But now, I think I'll get some rest."

He turned to the door. Proto tried to follow him, and Wily whirled. "And where do you think you're going?"

"I need to sleep too, Wily!" Proto protested.

" _Nein_ ,” Wily stated firmly. “You will stay here and guard my new weapon."

"But—"

"No buts. That is an order, Proto Man. I trust you'll obey it this time." Wily stalked off, mumbling about the need to sleep in certain robots.

Proto sat down in a chair angrily. It wasn't fair. He needed to sleep too. He didn't know why—Wily other robots didn't need to sleep—but if he didn't get sleep, he didn't function very well. In fact, he acted and felt pretty much like Dr. Wily, and the less he took after the old man, the better.

Proto glared at the Sonic Whatever in disgust. This puny thing was the reason Wily had him risk his neck a week ago? The battle with his brother had been to close, and as for what happened afterward…

He didn't even want to think about it. Proto fingered his scarf as he continued to glare at the device. He mentally listed every swear word in his rather extensive databanks, including some choice German ones he picked up from Wily.

Slowly, without realizing it, Proto lured himself to sleep.

# # #

"A sonic what?" Roll asked from her spot on the sofa. She, Mega Man, Rush and Dr. Light were in the living room of Dr. Light's house, which was connected to the lab.

Mega Man leaned forward from his perch on a table. Dr. Light frowned at him, but said nothing. He told Mega Man repeatedly not to sit on furniture not meant to be sat on. Mega promised not to each time, but did it anyway. It was yet another sign his robot children were something special, and irritated he might be at times, Dr. Light couldn’t deny them of that.

"It's called a Sonic Obliterator. In fact, it's _the_ Sonic Obliterator, the only one of its kind." Dr. Light replied. "Wily stole it during that little incident at the mall, but it was only discovered missing recently."

"Okay," Mega said slowly. "Some idiot made a weapon of mass destruction, left it unguarded for a while, and then expected it to be perfectly fine when they got back?"

Dr. Light sighed. "It wasn't meant to be a weapon. Despite the rather ominous name, the Sonic Obliterator was originally a designed as a mining tool. When created, however, it was discovered that it was too powerful for any use and—because of the uniqueness of the design—fixing the power output rendered it useless. The creator decided to place it in a special government facility until he had more time to work out the bugs. That was years ago."

"How do you know all this stuff?" Roll asked.

Dr. Light smiled. "It's simple. I made it."

# # #

Proto Man was surrounded by a thick bluish mist. He frowned as he studied his surroundings. His was in New York City, but it was deserted. There was no one he could see. The only thing that told him this was New York were the buildings, ghostly and strange. No cars, no garbage, no anything. There wasn't even graffiti.

 _Creepy,_ he thought. Nothing would change if he stayed put, so he started walking. He soon himself in front of a familiar-looking mall. _Ugh_. It was the same mall he fought Mega. The same one where he lost his scarf. He fingered it lightly, scowling. Whatever this was, he wanted out.

Proto stepped into the street, straight into the path of an oncoming car. He froze in horror. It was too close to dodge! It was going to—he threw his hands up, protecting his face. Any second now—

Nothing happened. He lowered his hands. It was as if the car was never there. Proto dropped his arms in disgust. _Stupid,_ he thought _. Must have been imagining it. Sometimes I think Wily's right. Human emotions and habits do get in the way._

"Proto Man!" cried a faint voice. Proto Man lurched toward it, unable to believe what he was hearing. It wasn’t possible. Right in front of him was Mega Man fighting—

 _Him_.

Proto shook his head hard, but the scene remained. It was him! This was the same mall, the same battle that had happened last week. He could barely see anything else but Mega, himself and the transparent outline of the cars they were fighting among. In fact, even Mega Man himself was a bit transparent, just enough to make him seem unnatural.

"No way," he muttered. "This—this is unreal!"

The scene kept replaying itself, from the moment Proto started fighting with his brother to the moment he got away, over and over again. Proto—the real one—stumbled forward numbly, unsure of why. His own double was not transparent like everything else. He was in full color.

Proto stopped finally when he was close enough to reach out and touch his ghostly brother. Something told him this was all wrong, somehow, though the scene never changed.

Mega Man pounced on the Proto double. As the fake Proto Man reared his fist back to hit him, Mega caught it.

_That didn't happen!_

Proto watched in horror as his ghostly brother flipped his counterpart on his back and aimed his plasma cannon right in his face.

"What's a matter, brother?" Mega sneered. "Surprised? You shouldn't be. I'm only giving you what you deserve."

Then he shot the pinned Proto Man in the face.

"No!" Proto cried. The smoke cleared, revealing circuits and wires where the double’s head used to be. Mega Man stood up, looking straight at him. He was no longer transparent. At his feet, the remains of the destroyed double faded into the mist.

"Only giving you what you deserve," he repeated, aiming his cannon and firing. Proto cried out again—

—And landed on the floor. Jumping to his feet, Proto looked around, his panic fading. He sighed with relief. It had been a _dream_. He was still in Skull Fortress, supposedly guarding the Sonic Whatever-You-Call-It.

Proto sank into the chair slowly. It was a rarity for him to dream, but when he did, it was usually one where he woke up yelling, only to find he had no idea why. This one, however, stuck in his mind, like it had been burned into the back of his eyes.

Shaking his head, he glanced at the time. One o'clock in the morning. He sighed again. _I have a feeling I'm not going to be able to go back to sleep._

# # #

Someone was shaking him.

"Wake up, you! We have work to do today!"

Proto opened his eyes to find Wily standing over him, scowling deeply.

"I… I fell asleep." Proto mumbled, expecting Wily to snap at him for it.

Wily merely blinked at him. "I expected you to. Now get up. Today is only the beginning. Soon, I will rule the world!"

The old man cackled as he grabbed the Sonic Obliterator and walked out. Proto followed as expected, smirking to himself. He was feeling better already. Sometimes Wily wasn't so bad after all.

And besides, this was going to be fun…

# # #

"Oh, this will be fun." said Mega Man sarcastically. He and Roll flew fast over the city, Roll on her Hover Speeder and Mega riding Rush.

Roll gave him a look. "You sound just like Proto Man when you say that."

"Don't even kid about that," Mega shivered. He narrowed his eyes. "He has one of the blackest hearts I know, besides Wily himself."

Roll looked at him sideways. She knew her brother had very strong feelings about Proto. One side of Mega hated him for all the crimes, cruelty and pain he had done or caused, but the other side of him cared very deeply about him. These two sides often conflicted with each other, but no matter what, it always ended in battle.

Even Roll herself wasn't sure how she felt about Proto Man. He was a criminal and a creep—but part of him really seemed to care about Mega, even when he was trying to kill him, and that too often seemed like it was a twisted joke to the visor-wearing bot. She just couldn’t figure him out.

Roll quickly changed the subject. "Mega, Dr. Light wants us to be alert. There's no telling what Wily plans to do with that thing."

Mega Man groaned. "I wish he would just get it done and over with. The suspense alone may kill me."

Roll giggled. "Don't let Wily know that. He might just try it."

"Good riddance to him. And to my evil brother as well."

"Oh, Mega."

# # #

"So what's the plan, Doc?" Proto Man asked. As usual, he was piloting the Skulker. Wily’s more unhinged moments did not make for smooth flying. “And why’d you leave the Cut Man and Guts Man back at the base? They’re dumber than rocks, but they’re useful rocks.”

Wily began to laugh.

Proto frowned. "You know, that can get really annoying sometimes."

Wily glared at him. "I don't recall asking for your opinion. This mission requires… subtlety.”

Proto eyed him sideways. “We’re flying a modified heliplane with a giant skull slapped on the front.”

“Don’t confuse subtlety with lack of style!” Wily snapped. “As for the plan, I think our first target should be, oh, say the warehouse district of New York City? Not only can we prove to the world how serious this is, we’ll be miles below the surface before that blue geek knows what hit them. First New York, then—"

"The world, yada, yada, yada," mumbled Proto.

Wily glared at him. "What's gotten into you lately, Proto? You're usually more… passive about this, except when it comes to your brother."

Proto didn't answer, looking instead out the Skulker's window. The dream he had last night was still bothering him, and he had little patience for Wily's little speeches.

Wily studied him for a moment, drifting off to his own thoughts. _Proto Man is getting more difficult as time goes on. His free will has caused me more trouble than I ever imagined. If Proto Man becomes too much of a problem, I might have to do something about it. One way or the other…_


	2. Effects and Affects

"We're coming up on New York, Doc." Proto said.

Wily glanced at him. " _Gut_. Have Stone Man, Drill Man, and Spark Man make sure no one's around to disturb us. The last thing we need is some stupid fool to alert that blue menace before we're ready for him."

Proto nodded as he punched in the command. He had hardly spoken since his and Wily's little spat earlier. He filed the dream away as unimportant, but he had a feeling it would come back to haunt him again. It wasn’t like he could share it with Wily. He brought up his ability to dream once and immediately regretted it. Wily didn’t think robots should be capable of dreams, and Proto had to do some fast talking to keep the old man from cracking open his head to look for damage. Wily only cared about taking over the world, and any possible obstacle to that was a threat. Sometimes he seemed a bit fond of Proto, but Proto knew Wily wouldn't hesitate to deal with him if he pushed the mad scientist too far.

Wily had never threatened him—not seriously, anyway—but it didn’t take much to imagine what he could do to Proto if he wanted. It would be a waste to destroy him, but Wily could easily reprogram him instead, snipping away the parts that gave him free will and turn him into a mindless drone. But as horrible as that was, banishment would be worse. Wily would get a sick kind of enjoyment out of turning Proto over to the authorities and standing back to see what happened. If he wasn’t scraped immediately, Mega would make good on his promise to reprogram him to be some gushing goody-two shoes.

Proto would rather be melted alive.

"Now," Wily cackled. "We'll see who's the best. I will finally prove to the world I'm the greatest, not that bumbling imbecile who calls himself Thomas Xavier Light."

Proto Man shook his head as Wily ranted on. His rants were getting annoying. But then, they had always been annoying. Proto had just never let it get to him before.

He shook his head again sharply. _What's wrong with me? Wily's rants and threats never used to bother me before. He's right; I really have been acting differently lately. Why now?_

Proto stared at his reflection in the glass in front of him, surprised at his own thoughts. _Maybe it's just that dream that's bothering me. That's got to be it._

"Proto Man!"

Proto jumped. Wily glared at him from the cockpit.

"Finished day-dreaming?" he asked sarcastically. "Get to work! We have too much to do to waste time."

"Yes sir," said Proto.

He gave the order to Stone Man to get into position, and watched impassively as Drill Man, Spark Man, and Bomb Man formed a circle around Stone Man, who was carrying the Sonic Obliterator. The protection was just in case a certain blue dweeb happened to interfere before their work was complete, though Wily had yet to explain what that work was, and Proto had little interest in asking.

He smirked at the thought of his brother. Wily never failed to underestimate Mega Man _. When my little bro's determined, there's not a lot you can do to stop him._

"Stone Man! Activate the Sonic Obliterator!" bellowed Wily as his Skulker hovered overhead. Stone Man aimed the weapon at the ground.

And then the world turned inside out. A high pierced wail ricocheted off the Skulker's walls. Proto clamped his hands over his ears and screamed, his cry lost in the unbearable sound. Some was _horribly_ wrong.

"Turn it off, Stone Man! Turn it off!" He heard Wily cry desperately. The Skulker lost power and fell to the ground with a crash Proto could hardly feel. He suddenly felt so tired…

# # #

"Proto Man! Proto, get up!" A worried voice broke through Proto Man's unconsciousness. Wily's? It couldn't be… Someone shook him again, and he opened his eyes at last.

"Wily?" he muttered.

Wily shoved an energy can into his hand. "Drink this."

Proto Man sucked it down as the old man grimly surveyed the damage.

"What happened?" he asked.

"The Sonic Obliterator seems to have more power than I thought. It also has a nasty side effect." Wily pointed out the shattered window. Proto leaned forward to see the Robot Masters lay in awkward positions on the ground outside the wreckage of the Skulker. Stone Man was in pieces. The others would not be operational anytime soon.

Proto fell back into his chair, suddenly feeling weak again. "How…"

"It seems the Sonic Obliterator also sonic frequency has a negative effect on mechanical circuit,” Wily said. “You were lucky the Skulker was between you and direct contact. Otherwise, you would be just like them."

Proto Man felt a shudder pass through him. Trying to shake it off, he said, "Well, I guess you have to turn it down a notch."

"Quiet, you worthless hunk of junk! Come with me." Wily activated a few Batontons to act as flying flashlights and left the Skulker, heading for the newly created crater. Proto hurried to follow him, but he felt sluggish. The Batontons flew lazily, their lights dimming on and off. He wasn’t the only one struggling.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

Wily paused to pick up the Sonic Obliterator from where it had fallen from Stone Man's grasp. Proto made a wide circle to avoid the remains of the Robot Masters. Wily noticed, giving Proto a cruel smile. Proto ignored it, and together they walked into the newly created abyss.

# # #

"Mega Man, look!" Roll cried, pointing to Wily's newly created hole. They were on the edge of the city, in a rundown industrial area. Only moments ago, they had been patrolling the city's skyways when an echoing wail assaulted them. Rush howled and yelped, spiraling as he fell from the sky, barely managing to land on a rooftop without crashing. Roll was not so fortunate, her Hover Speeder smashing into the roof next to them. She managed to leap free at the last moment, landing on her feet. It was a good thing they were both made of pretty solid stuff. Groggily, they both stumbled to their feet once the sound stopped.

"I have a really bad feeling about this," Mega said.

Roll shivered. "I know what you mean."

With Rush out of commission, Mega left him where he was and informed Dr. Light about their current situation. Now he stood gasping at the sight before him, the gaping maw not only leading to a deep darkness, but had taken out several (fortunately empty) buildings.

"That's got to be a mile long, at least!" he cried.

Roll frowned grimly. "No wonder Dr. Light shut that thing away. Who knows what Wily could do with that thing."

"We have to stop him," Mega said. "No matter what."

Roll silently nodded her agreement, and together they entered the darkness.

# # #

"Doc, where are we going?" Proto asked, hurrying to catch up to Wily. The Batontons were struggling, but they still lit the way, revealing just how much damage the Sonic Obliterator caused. It didn’t just open a hole underground—it seemed to have _vaporized_ the rock and soil that was once there. Wily forged ahead, but Proto faltered, his unease growing. He glanced at the walls, wondering how sturdy they really were.

Wily glanced at Proto sideways, sneering. "Are you getting claustrophobic on me?"

"No!" Proto glared back at him. "Come on, Doc. We have no Robot Masters for backup, no plan, no equipment, and basically no escape route. We don't even know how far this cave goes!"

Wily stopped turning to face Proto. He gazed into Proto's visor for a while until Proto started to fidget under his glance. Just as Proto was about to ask _what gives_ , Wily caught Proto's chin, forcing him to meet his eyes, his other hand resting on Proto’s shoulder.

Wily smiled, speaking softly. "Do I detect a loss of faith in me, Proto Man? One wouldn't be questioning my authority, now would he?"

"I—" Proto swallowed hard. Wily wasn’t quiet, especially when he was mad. Even his normal voice he sounded like he was constantly on the verge of yelling. The voice he used now was the scariest Proto had ever heard him be.

"Of course not," Wily went on smoothly. "You are my greatest creation, my finely tuned machine. You are only concerned because we seem at a disadvantage, but rest assured, my plan won’t fail."

Wily's hand slid down to Proto's arm cannon. It was a fond gesture, but it was all Proto could do to keep himself from shuddering. His thoughts from earlier came rushing back. Reprogramming, destruction, banishment. _Death_.

"Besides," Wily continued. "You are more than enough to… remove any unwanted opposition. Now Proto, my boy. No more doubts, no more questions. Trust in your creator a bit, eh?"

Wily released Proto and started to move forward again. Proto followed shakily, not sure at all of what to make of what just happened. He did know one thing, though. This was going to be a long trip.

# # #

It wasn’t long before the Light siblings found the remains of the Robot Masters, the crashed Skulker abandoned next to them. Roll cried out in horror, and Mega warily stepped closer, studying the downed robots before shaking his head grimly.

“I don’t know what happened, but they’re totally trashed,” he said. “I don’t know if Stone Man can even be repaired.”

“Did—did the Sonic Obliterator do this?” Roll asked, trying to keep her voice from shaking. “It’s horrible!”

Mega looked to the Skulker, but it was dark and empty. No sign of Wily. No sign of his brother.

“I don’t like this,” he said.

“I don’t either, but there’s no sign of Dr. Light’s invention.” Roll crossed her arms tight, her eyes on the deep cave in front of him. “If Wily has it with him, there’s only one way to find out.”

“Yeah,” Mega said, but his mood was as dark as the cavern around them. He didn’t want to admit it, but he felt like something was dragging on his circuits, slowing him down. Something that horrible sound caused, or was it just the eeriness of the situation?

“Let’s go,” he said, and they reluctantly continued, unwittingly following the same path. Roll swept a flashlight she kept in her utility arm along the oddly smooth walls and shuddered.

"This is creepy, Mega!” she said. “I feel like we're walking into a tomb!"

Mega said nothing, his expression closed.

"Mega Man?"

He hadn't spoken a word since they had entered the cave that the Sonic Obliterator seemed to have created. Now his face was hard, as if he was warring with himself over something.

Mega stopped suddenly, causing Roll to almost crash into him. He tilted his head back toward her slightly, so that the shadows fell across his face, making his eyes unreadable. "I want you to go back, Roll."

"What?"

"It's too dangerous!" he snapped, looking back at her fully, his eyes pleading. "What if Wily does whatever he did to his Robot Masters to you!"

"What if he tries to do it to you, too!" she yelled back. "I can't let you go alone."

"You have to go,” Mega said. He grabbed her shoulders and looked directly into her eyes, and in a softer tone, said, "Roll, please. I've already lost one sibling to Wily before I even knew him. If I lost you too… I don't think I could stand it."

Roll bit her lip and looked away. Mega was right, something was _really_ wrong with this situation. Arguing with Mega was only going to waste time.

"Alright," she agreed, handing her brother a spare flashlight. "But when Dr. Light arrives here, there's nothing you can do to stop us from coming after you."

Mega smiled and hugged her, his mood lighter already. "Don't worry. Dr. Light will have a device made that will stop whatever Wily's up to. And even he's not crazy enough to fire that weapon off in here, you’ll see!"

He took off into the cave without waiting for a reply, waving over his shoulder.

"Wait! If he's not crazy enough to fire it off, why do I have to go back? Mega!"

It was too late. Her brother had already vanished from sight.

“Ooh, when he gets back…” But the threat went unsaid as Roll lingered, biting her lip.. _Just be careful, big brother_ , she thought. _Wily has never had this much power before. It just might go to his head…_

# # #

"This is it, Proto!” Dr. Wily said, cackling. “This is what we've been looking for!"

Proto Man stared at the sight in front of him. A even bigger cavern stretched out before him, with smaller caves branching out from it in all directions. The Batontons fluttered about, but they weren’t enough to fight the darkness, the true size of the place hidden in shadow.

"The Sonic Obliterator did all of this?”

Wily continued to cackle. “It does live up to its reputation, does it not?”

"Okay, I’ll admit it’s very impressive. But how can a big cave help with your plan?" Proto asked. He was not one to stay impressed for very long, and this particular plot was making it seem like Wily was finally losing more than his sanity.

"Fool! This cave is under the very center of New York itself. With a little help…" Wily started to laugh again. "The city will be… relocated, so to speak."

"You don't mean—" Proto was interrupted by a plasma shot aimed above his and Wily's heads.

"In your dreams, Wily!"

Proto whirled around to face his blue brother, a cocky smirk already on his face. "Well, well, little brother. Fancy meeting you here. I thought you would be off cleaning Dr. Light's lab, like the goody-good you are."

Wily hooked his arm, hissing in his ear. "Keep him busy, Proto. We've come too far to be stopped now."

Proto Man smirked. "Whatever you say, Doc."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There used to be glowing lichen, but uh that idea was dumb. I'm also pretty sure I named this chapter to mock my inability to use those words correctly, so nice burn there, little me.


	3. Battle and Consequences

“This is very disturbing,” Dr. Light said, his expression troubled.

Roll and Rush had made it back to the lab safely, Roll stumbling over her words to explain everything that happened. She made no effort to hide the worry on her face, and Rush had his head between his paws.

“Isn’t there anything you can do?” Roll asked. Rush whimpered loudly.

Dr. Light sighed, looking older and wearier. “No. There is nothing I can do to stop the Sonic Obliterator once it’s been activated. Because of the experimental frequency it uses, any counter-device I could create runs the risk of making the effects worse, not better.”

He sagged into a nearby chair, brow creased with worry.

“Dr. Light, are you all right?” Roll asked worriedly, moving to his side.

“I’m fine,” he said. “It’s Mega Man I’m worried about. I’ve tried to contact him several times, but the density of the cave must be jamming my frequency. I fear he’s over his head this time.”

“I should go back,” Roll said. “He’ll need my help.”

“We’ll both go,” Dr. Light declared, standing. “The only chance we have is if I can get my hands on the Sonic Obliterator and shut it down safely.”

“It’s too dangerous,” she argued.

“You both need my help, and you know it,” he replied, smiling at her. “Don’t worry about me, Roll. I’ve got plenty of fight yet.”

Roll stood with her mouth open to protest, but she could only smile ruefully. “I think I know where Mega gets his stubbornness from,” she said. 

“Let’s go,” Dr. Light said. “The Air-Jet’s walls should withstand the effects of the Sonic Obliterator should Dr. Wily activate it again.”

Rush was too damaged to come with. Roll gave him a reassuring pat before they left, but as the jet raced to the site of the crater, neither of them could shake the feeling of foreboding.

# # #

“Ha!” Proto Man sneered as one of his shots hit the mark, knocking Mega Man sprawling. “Too slow, bro. Looks like the blue bomber needs some ducking lessons.”

Mega fired off a shot as he ducked behind a stalagmite, forcing Proto to take cover. Mega was breathing hard, trying to keep his circuits from overheating, and he felt so tired. Something was wrong, but he had no time to deal with it now. Mega looked around desperately. Even though the cave was huge, it was likely unstable. A stray shot might bring it down on top of them all. His brother had managed to lure the far enough away from Wily to prevent him from seeing what the evil doctor was up to. Blast it!

Proto grinned. He had his brother pinned. It was only minutes into their fight, and Mega was showing signs of wearing down. That was odd. Proto never felt better in his life. Mega shouldn’t be out of energy this soon. Shaking these thoughts off, he slipped deeper into the shadows to stalk closer.

“Oh, Mega Man…” Proto’s voice echoed off the cave walls, drifting eerily. 

Mega tensed, trying to peer into the darkness. It was no use. Proto had hidden himself well, even with that bright scarf of his, and he had the advantage. 

_ This is bad _ , Mega thought.  _ This is very bad _ .

Mega stood quickly, planning on bolting for better coverage. Instead he fell to his knees, pain pulsing through his body.

“What’s wrong with me,” he said. “Why can’t I move?”

“Well, well, well. What’s the matter, bro?” Proto detached himself the darkness, smirking as he approached. “Feeling a little down? Here, lemme help.”

Proto grabbed Mega and pitched him headfirst into the cave wall. Mega didn’t even have the energy to shield himself from the blow. He groaned as he landed in a heap, the shock to his system shutting him down.

“Pathetic,” Proto scoffed, scowling down at his brother’s body. “So much for a challenge!”

“Proto Man! Bring him to me,” Wily yelled, his voice echoing through the cave. Proto unceremoniously slung Mega’s body over his shoulder and approached the mad doctor. 

“You bellowed?” Proto said. Wily had situated himself in the middle of the cave, still tinkering with the Sonic Obliterator. 

Wily barely glanced at him. “Put him on the ground. I’ll deal with him later.”

“Hey! Don’t I get a thank you for capturing my little brother?” Proto demanded, annoyed as he dumped Mega’s body on the ground without much care.

Wily snorted. “You wouldn’t have managed to do so if he wasn’t suffering from the aftereffects of the Sonic Obliterator.”

Proto froze. “What do you mean,  _ aftereffects _ ?”

Wily waved him off absentmindedly. “He was close enough to the blast to be affected, like you—” Proto shuddered. “—But far enough to create a delayed reaction. You would be the same if you hadn’t been protected by the Skulker’s walls. Help me get this in position.”

“Would’ve been nice to know that ahead of time, doc,” Proto grumbled, stepping over Mega, not noticing his brother’s eye starting to twitch…

# # #

Shortly after, Dr. Light and Roll raced down the passageway, unaware of the danger ahead. 

“C’mon, doc!” Roll said. “I just know Mega’s in trouble!”

“I know,” Dr. Light replied. “I’m just not as young as I used to be—Good heavens!”

They had discovered the Skulker, and the remains of the Robot Masters. Exchanging a grim look, they carried on, knowing what lay ahead could only get worse. Soon the cave widened until they found themselves in a wide cavern, its depths hidden by shadow.

“The Sonic Obliterator did all of this?” Roll gasped.

“Unfortunately, that seems to be the case,” Dr. Light said grimly. “It’s right under a major part of the city. And that’s not all…” He pointed his flashlight at the walls. “Blast marks.”

“Mega was here!” Roll cried. Without a second thought, she raced into the wider cavern. 

Dr. Light started, but it was too late to stop her. “Wait, Roll! It could be dangerous!”

# # #

The Sonic Obliterator was finally ready. Wily leaned back and began to cackle. “I’ve finally done it! This is it, Proto. We will finally rule the world!”

Proto eyed the device skeptically. “I still don’t get how this plan is supposed to work.”

“Mega Man!” A voice cried. Both whirled to see Dr. Light and Roll rapidly approaching.

“Curse them!” Dr. Wily cried. “Proto Man, stop them! I don’t have time to deal with this right now.”

Proto took aim—

—and landed on his back as Mega kicked his feet out from under him. Mega staggered upright, aiming his blaster at the Sonic Obliterator.

“No! Mega Man, don’t!” Dr. Light cried. 

Too late. Mega fired a charged blast at the device. Instead of exploding, it seemed to absorb the energy, beginning to pulse oddly, shining different colors.

“It’s going to blow!” Dr. Wily cried. “Run!”

Roll wasted no time in scooping Dr. Light into her arms, fleeing back to the cavern’s opening. Dr. Wily was not far behind them. Proto picked himself off the ground and raced after Mega, both desperately trying to outrun the Sonic Obliterator’s range. 

Mega felt another jolt to his systems, weakness spreading through his limbs. With a groan, he collapsed on the ground.

“Mega Man!” Proto stopped and grabbed him by the arms, trying to pull him to his feet. “Get up!”

The Sonic Obliterator exploded. Proto wrapped his body around Mega, shielding him as the cavern came crashing done. All Dr. Light, Dr. Wily, and Roll could do was watch in horror.

The last thing they saw was Proto Man’s scarf fluttering wildly before being buried under rocks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why did I think alternating POVs between paragraphs was a good idea????? Argh!


	4. Blind and the Broken

Silence reigned. The three of them—Dr. Light, Roll, and Wily—faced a wall of rock, blocking the entrance to the cave entirely. There was no sign of anything surviving the collapse.

Dr. Wily broke the silence fist. “Proto Man…” he said disbelievingly. He stumbled forward, pressing his hands to the rock, but the wall was solid.

Dr. Light sank to his knees, his strength gone. “No…”

“Mega Man!” Roll banged her fists against the debris, cracking stone, but she could tell right away the rock was too thick to try breaking through. Her shock quickly turned to anger, and she turned to Wily, eyes ablaze. “This is  _ your  _ fault! You got both of them killed!”

“Roll, please,” Dr. Light said. He stood to grab her arm, worried she was furious enough to hit the mad scientist. “There’s nothing we can do now. Fighting won’t bring Mega Man back.”

“Back…” Wily repeated, still staring at the debris. He turned to face them, the thin light casting shadows over his eyes. “We must find them.”

Roll laughed bitterly. “How? They’re probably crushed, thanks to you.”

Dr. Light placed a hand on her shoulder, watching Wily with a guarded look. “What do you mean?” he asked. “Not even their armor could have saved them from being crushed by all that rubble. Do you really think they could have survived that?”

Wily waved an impatient hand. “They would have been crushed  _ only _ if they were caught in the collapse. But I set the Sonic Obliterator to pulse against the walls, to keep expanding the cavern. There’s a chance they’re merely trapped in a newly formed cave!”

“That’s a slim possibility,” Dr. Light replied, but hope sparked in his heart. Dr. Wily’s theory  _ could  _ be true, and if it was, Mega Man had a chance. Roll tightened her arms, but the same thought crossed her mind, and she looked hopefully at Dr. Light.

“I’m willing to take that chance! Wily hissed, stomping past him. “Are you going to help me or not?”

Dr. Light gave Roll’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze as he moved to catch up with Wily.

“I’ll help you find both Proto and Mega,” Dr. Light said. “But to save both our sons, we’ll have to trust each other.”

Wily glanced at him, but didn’t answer. Dr. Light sighed, trying to think of a way to convince the police not to arrest Wily on sight. They would need his help, and they would have to act quickly. The Sonic Obliterator’s long-term effects could spell doom for both Mega Man and his brother, if they weren’t rescued soon.

# # #

Proto woke with a snap. 

“What happened?” he groaned, rolling over. Stones and dirt slid off his back as he turned onto his side. The light was gone now, the Batontons all broken and scattered. Proto couldn’t see anything but a thick darkness that seemed as crushing as the cave-in. Under his arm, someone groaned and moved, catching his attention.  _ What the— _

“What happened?” Mega moaned. He shifted again, and Proto quickly withdrew his arm. “Proto Man? You… you saved me.”

“Not on purpose, so don’t get all mushy on me,” Proto sneered. “Where are we?”

“Well, I would assume we’re still in the cave,” Mega replied sarcastically. “Hence all the rock debris. At least my flashlight still works.”

“What flashlight?” Proto demanded. “Have you gone nuts?”

“It’s right—” Mega stopped. “You can’t see it?”

“See what?” Proto said. “There’s nothing to see but this infernal darkness. I can’t—” 

Proto stopped himself in horror. 

“I can’t see,” he whispered, feeling his visor in panic. There was a crack down the middle, but it wasn’t broken. His optical sensors should be working just fine, but they weren’t. “I’ve been blinded!”

“Calm down,” Mega said. “There’s no reason to panic.”

“There’s every reason to panic!” Proto snapped. “I can’t see, damn you—”

“Will you shut up for once?” Mega said sharply, shoving his brother away from him. He propped himself up on his elbows, trying to stand. “The last thing we need is for you to— _ aaargh _ !”

Pain shot through his body, radiating up from his legs. He collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.

“Ha! Serves you right,” Proto taunted. “What’s the matter, stubbed your toe?”

“Could you not be horrible for five seconds?” Mega hissed. He gingerly felt the area where his hips met his legs and was rewarded with another jolt of pain. There was nothing externally damaged, but his self-repair system wasn’t kicking in. He had no way to access what was wrong internally.

“They’re broken,” he said grimly.

“Your  _ legs _ ?”

“Yes,” Mega said, through gritted teeth. “I don’t know what’s wrong, but I can’t move either one.”

Proto stared at him—stared in his direction, anyway. He then leaned back and began to laugh. Mega watched him with growing disgust. He tried and failed to ignore how much it hurt, an ache that was sharper and deeper than any physical pain.

“Always nice when you confirm what a stupid jerk you are,” Mega muttered.

“I’m not laughing at you,” Proto said, still smirking. “Just think this is perfect, that’s all. Your legs are broken, I can’t see—what a team we make.”

“We are not, nor will we ever be, a  _ team _ ,” Mega said, his voice hard. “You’re evil, and you always will be, Proto Man.”

Proto jerked backwards, his momentum stopped by the pull of his scarf. It was pinned down somehow, stuck under one of the boulders that nearly buried both of them. He recovered quickly, replacing the hurt look on his face with one of anger. “You know, things could be different if you gave me a chance for once.”

“A chance to do what? Stab me in the back? Again?” Mega shook his head. “I don’t trust you, Proto. I can’t ever trust you.”

“Would it really kill you to try?” Proto said bitterly, still tugging on his scarf.

“It hurts too much!” Mega snapped. He twisted away from his brother to stare at the gloomy emptiness of the newly formed cave There’s no sign of there being any way out. No way to know if Dr. Light and his sister would be able to find them, or if they thought he was already lost. 

“No matter how much I want to trust you,” Mega continued. “I know in the end I can’t. I’m tired of it.”

Proto froze. It was what he expected his brother to say. He knew his self-righteous brother would never come out and say he hated Proto’s guts, even if that’s what he meant. What surprised him was how much the thought hurt.

“I guess that’s it then,” Proto said. Mega didn’t answer, thought he wasn’t expecting one. He began tugging on his scarf again, futile as it was. The whole thing was futile. He wasn’t getting out of here even if he could get his scar free, not with being blind. Wily probably thought the two of them were destroyed. No one was coming to save them. At least Mega Man would have mourners.

Mega watched his brother struggle against the boulder’s hold without much luck. “What do we do now?” he asked.

“Who’s we?” Proto snapped bitterly. He tugged harder, but it did no good. His scarf was made of sturdy stuff that kept it safe during the wear and tear of battle, but worked against him now. There was no way he would consider leaving it behind.

Mega sighed. “Here,” he said, shifting towards Proto. He carefully grabbed his brother’s gauntlets and guided his hands to the rock that had the scarf pinned. Proto let him do it, cocking his head with a frown. 

“You pull up,” Mega said. “And I’ll pull the scarf out for you.”

Proto didn’t answer, but he did as Mega said, shifting the rock up as the scarf free—battered and dirty, but surprisingly untorn. Proto put the boulder down, sitting up straight now that he was free. He fingered his scarf with a scowl. 

“You’re welcome,” Mega said, rolling his eyes. 

Proto cocked his head, about to say something equally sarcastic, when a tremor rocked the ground beneath them. 

“Did you feel that?” Proto said, standing. 

“Yeah,” Mega replied. “This cave can’t be that stable. What do we do?

“Don’t know about you, but I’m getting out of here,” Proto replied, feeling his way along the wall. “Good luck, bro!”

“Proto, you absolute—” Another tremor, much stronger this time, cut Mega off. It knocked Proto down on the ground, showering both of them with debris. It lasted for several agonizing minutes before stopping as quickly as it had come. The two waited, tense, but the earthquake didn't return. 

In the silence, Proto got the unsettling feeling of being stared at. He tried to ignore it, but the irritating feeling persisted, a constant reminder of his new helplessness.

“What?” he snapped.

“If we want to get out of here alive,” Mega said. “We have to work together.”

Proto snorted. “ _ Now _ you want to trust me?”

“You can’t see, I can’t walk,” Mega replied shortly. “Don’t get me wrong. I know you don’t like me. I don’t particularly like working with a heartless criminal either.”

Proto growled. “If you’re so eager to work together, bro, you’d better watch your mouth.”

Mega sighed. He set himself up for this. “Fine,” he said slowly. “I’m sorry. We’re going to have to have a truce if either of us is getting out of here.”

“Sure,” Proto said. “That’s going to work out so well.”

“It’s better than waiting to die,” Mega snapped, losing his patience. “It’s not like I want to do this either, but we don’t have a choice.”

“If there was, I certainly wouldn’t be working with you,” Proto snarled. He got up slowly, still leery from the earthquake. “Whatever. Just tell me where you are so we can get this over with.”

“I’m to your left, about four feet,” Mega answered. Proto shuffled closer to him, his movements slow and uncertain. 

_ He really is pretty helpless _ , Mega thought, watching his brother.  _ There’s no way we could’ve gotten far in that state. Was he just acting about leaving? _ There was just so much about his brother he didn’t know, so much he wanted to know, but even now, it seemed like he would never get the chance. 

“Well?” Proto said, kneeling in front of Mega.

Mega blinked, snapping out of his thoughts. “Well, what?”

“How is this supposed to work?” Proto said. “I’m not going to carry you in my arms, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Mega sighed again. As difficult as this was going to be, Proto seemed determined to make it even harder.  _ This is going to be a long day… _

# # #

“No, no, no!” Dr. Wily cried. An exasperated Elec Man stood before him, arms crossed. He seemed resigned to Wily’s raving as the mad scientist paced back and forth as he chewed the Robot Master out for setting up a console wrong.

Dr. Light stood off to one side, watching his former partner rant. Dr. Wily may have been better at hiding his egotistical nature when they worked together, but not one bit of him changed. That did not spell good things for their temporary alliance. 

Elec Man finally seemed to tire of the abuse. He threw his arms up and snapped, “If you want to fix it so badly, why don’t you do it yourself! I’m not your wonder-boy Proto Man!”

Dr. Wily froze at the mention of Proto Man. He whirled around. “Then get out of my sight, you worthless pile of scrap!”

Elec Man obeyed immediately, turning on his heel and marching past Dr. Light. Dr. Light sighed. It had been hours since the cave-in. They had set up temporary shop in Dr. Light’s lab, though it had taken some time to even work that agreement through. Roll was keeping a sharp, threatening eye on the Robot Masters Wily recruited to help—Elec Man, as well as Guts Man and Cut Man—which wasn’t helping tensions either. 

Dr. Light turned back to Wily, who was still muttering under his breath. “I understand your frustration, but we have to get those trackers up and running soon. If we don’t…”

He couldn’t finish. The thought of Mega Man trapped in the dark, slowly running out of power, was hard to talk about, as much as it haunted his thoughts.

Dr. Wily rubbed his eyes. He clearly did not need the reminder. “I know,” he said, sounding tired. “We’re running out of time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How on earth does anyone write omnipresent third person, it's like pulling teeth.


	5. My Brother, My Enemy

“Go left about four feet,” Mega Man said. After a long argument, they had come to a compromise. Proto Man carried him, piggy-back style, his legs carefully tucked between his brother’s arms. It was a parody of a real sibling relationship, and Proto cemented that impression by giving Mega the silent treatment since they first started out.

It was starting to get on Mega’s nerves. It wasn’t that he wanted his brother to put on his usual obnoxious act, constantly bragging about what he could never back up. That Mega could do without, thank you very much. What bothered him was that he got the feeling he was being deliberately ignored. It was stupid and childish, and he shouldn’t let it get to him—he shouldn’t let anything his brother did get to him. Proto got too much satisfaction out of that.

Yet he continued to give directions, unwilling to play Proto’s stupid games. Though the area they were initially trapped in was littered with debris, soon the cave widened, the ground smoothing out. It became straighter as well, cutting down on the need to give directions. Mega still wasn’t sure what Dr. Wily was trying to accomplish with the Sonic Obliterator, but its effectiveness was clear. Soon they were continuing in silence.

And Mega was rapidly losing his ability to deal with it.

“Would it kill you to say something?” Mega asked.

Proto tilted his head, but he didn’t reply.

“Really?” Mega said, rolling his eyes.

“What do you want me to say?” Proto asked finally.

“Just talk!” Mega said, exasperated. “I’m going crazy here. There’s nothing but rocks and more rocks.”

“I’m the one doing all the work,” Proto pointed out. “Now you want me to act as your personal entertainment too?”

“No, I just—forget it,” Mega muttered, feeling guilty. “This is stupid.”

“Heh,” Proto replied. He came to a stop, tilting his head toward Mega. “It’s time for a break. Where’s a good place to settle down?”

“We can’t take a break,” Mega cried. “We’ve got to get out of here!”

“Well, unless you can crawl your way out after I run out of power from  _ doing all the work _ , I’m going to take a break!” Proto snapped, shifting Mega’s weight on his back.

Mega clenched his teeth, but he couldn’t stop his agonized groan as pain shot through his systems. Proto said nothing, but he softened his grip as he sank to the ground, careful not to move Mega’s legs again. He released his brother and crawled over to a flat spot on the ground, where he laid on his back, arms tucked beneath his head. Mega hissed as the pain faded. 

“Hey,” he snapped, irritated. “I’m serious. A break is fine, but we can’t just stay here. What if the cave collapses on us?”

Proto merely turned on his side, his back to Mega. “Go to sleep.”

“You can’t just ignore me forever—”

“Look, will you just shut up!” Proto snapped, twisting back around. He tried to glare, but he could be facing the entirely wrong direction for all he knew. “I’m tired, I need to recharge, and  _ you’re  _ doing nothing but being an annoying brat! Shut up and let me sleep!”

Stunned and with little other argument, Mega laid down and crossed his arms, scowling. He hated to admit it, but Proto was right. He was being an immature brat, and for no reason. What  _ was  _ wrong with him? He hadn’t been doing any of the work—Proto was also right about that, irritatingly enough—but he suddenly felt exhausted. And cold, really cold. His systems shouldn’t be susceptible to the chill of the cave, but he was shivering uncomfortably, the movement sending little jolts of pain through his legs. There was nothing he could do to stop it. Whatever damage the Sonic Obliterator did to his systems, it was getting worse.

Proto listened to his brother’s restless movements and quiet whimpers in silence, trying to ignore it. Served Mega right for being such a pest. He shouldn’t care at all that Mega was in pain. He should enjoy his suffering, in fact. Payback for all those plots he failed, all those battles he unfairly won.

Mega whimpered sharply, the sound wrenching something buried deep in Proto, something he tried so hard to ignore. With a sigh, he got up, reaching toward his brother.

Mega had fallen into a state of semi-consciousness, unable to properly fall into his usual sleep cycle. He felt two arms hesitantly circle his shivering body, holding him tight until the shivering stopped. He could feel warmth radiating from the body holding him. Was Proto deliberately running his core hot to warm Mega up? It was a waste of power. Why…?

“Proto Man?”

“Go to sleep, little brother.” Proto’s voice is soothing, free from its usual sarcasm and cruelty. Instead there was something different in it, something new, but Mega was losing the battle against sleep, drifting off with Proto’s arms still embracing him before he could pin it down.

# # #

_ “Proto Man was built from the same plans you were, Mega,” Dr. Light said, his eyes filled with concern. “In a sense, that does make him your brother.” _

_ “But Dr. Light, he’s evil!” Mega protested. “How can I call him my brother when he wants to kill or convert me to the bad side?” _

_ The scene changes rapidly. A battlefield. Which one, he couldn’t tell. There were too many, running together in Mega’s head, until all he saw was Proto Man. _

_ “Come on, brother,” Proto said, a grin on his face. “I bet you’d like being bad. As a team, we’d be unstoppable.” _

_ “Never!” Mega snapped. “I’ll never be like you!” _

_ “Suit yourself,” Proto said with a shrug. Then he shot Mega in the chest. _

Mega woke with a gasp, the pain of the dream—memory?—lingering as a real jolt of pain runs through him. It was completely dark in the cave, and he fumbled for the flashlight. It flickered worrying, but finally turned on. 

“About time you woke up.”

Mega tensed at the anger in his brother’s voice. He looked over to see Proto leaning against the cave wall, a sneer on his face.

“Missing your little bed?” Proto mocked. “I bet you sleep with a teddy bear, don’t you?”

Confused and unable to get up on his own, Mega could only stare. “What are you talking about?”

“I bet Dr. Light tucks you in every night, too,” Proto continued, ignoring the question. There was a cruel edge to his voice that wasn’t there before. Before they slept, he had been irritated, but not this. Not  _ hateful _ .

Proto pushed himself to his feet and walked over to Mega’s stretched out body, scuffling his feet to feel where he was going. Mega could only stare at Proto as his brother leaned over him, his cruel smirk deepening into an evil smile. 

“I bet you have everything you could ever want,” he said. “Friends, family, a creator who loves you enough to call you his son. How  _ nice  _ for you.”

Proto’s smile twisted, his voice dropping to a hiss. “Bet you’ve never felt alone and scared in your life. Well, let’s see how you like it!”

Before Mega could react, Proto sharply kicked his damaged legs. Mega’s scream of pain echoed through the cave, and Proto’s expression slipped. He stared blindly at Mega as his brother’s cry tapered off into a grown, now looking uncertain. 

“Why did you  _ do  _ that?” Mega gasped through clenched teeth.

Just reminding you of what’s what, Proto thought, but he couldn’t say it, not with Mega so clearly in agony. “Don’t be a baby,” he said instead.

“I  _ hate  _ you,” Mega hissed, his voice still clouded with pain.

Proto’s expression fell. “It really hurts that much?”

“Of course it does! Do you think I’m just acting?” Mega sucked in a painful breath of air. “We had a truce, remember?”

“Sorry,” Proto mumbled. 

He didn’t  _ sound  _ sorry. Mega opened his eyes to glare at his brother. “Leave me alone.”

“Fine.” Proto shifted away from Mega until he found a wall. Slumping against it, he turned away from Mega with a scowl. 

Mega didn’t care.  _ What’s wrong with him? _ He thought bitterly.  _ He didn’t have to do that. After last night— _

Mega stopped. What happened last night? He remembered being cold, unable to control his shivering. Proto held him until he was able to sleep. Why would he do that if he was going to turn on Mega later? Why did he do it at all?

Mega sighed. There was so much about his brother he didn’t understand. So much Proto wasn’t going to let him understand. He’d never had the opportunity to be close to his brother, but maybe he was the only one who wanted that. Maybe kicking Mega was Proto’s way to prove things were never going to change between them no matter what.

Proto sat in silence, trying to quell the mix of emotions running through him. When his brother had been helpless and in pain, he felt… concerned. Worried, even. Holding his brother until his shaking eased had been an impulse, almost an instinct. He forgot they were enemies, he forgot he was the bad guy. Why?

He could have taken care of Mega right there and then, as weak and vulnerable as he was. That’s what Wily would’ve wanted. The old man was tiring of Proto’s inability to take out his brother once and for all. What would he do when he found out they had made a truce? What would he do if he learned Proto actually cared about Mega’s pain?

Proto shook his head angrily. Wily’s wrath had not been why he kicked his brother. He could handle that.

_ You want to know why, little bro? _ He thought, scowling.  _ You have no idea what it’s like to be treated like a tool, just a weapon. Dr. Light treats you and Roll like his children. I’m lucky if Wily remembers to repair me half the time.  _

Dr. Light coddled his robots. He took them to restaurants that served them like they were people, he got them their own rooms in hotels—he probably gave them presents for Christmas, like they were  _ babies _ . What did Proto get for all of his hard work? Yelled at. Forced to do menial repair tasks for things that weren’t even his fault, plots that failed due to Wily’s incompetence. He bet anything Mega and Roll had their own spacious rooms. Proto barely got a  _ closet _ .

Proto clenched his fists. He shouldn’t have attacked Mega, not when he still needed him to get the hell out of here. He had woken up feeling bitter, used and alone, probably the remnants of a forgotten dream. And there was his brother, sleeping like a baby. He couldn’t stand it!

But he was sorry now—not that Proto would tell Mega that. It wasn’t his brother’s fault that his creator was so soft-hearted. And Proto hadn’t meant to hurt Mega that bad, he thought his brother was exaggerating the amount of pain he was in. All he wanted to do was get it through Mega’s titanium skull that  _ Proto  _ had the advantage here.

Not by much. They were lucky they weren’t dead yet. Their chances of living went down the longer they lingered

Proto stood up. “C’mon, Mega. Time to go.”

Mega glared at him. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“Why you little—” Proto moved toward Mega threateningly, but his blindness betrayed him, causing him to trip over a rock and fall flat on his face. 

His scarf flipped over his head, and his scrambling to get up only made him look more undignified. 

Mega would’ve laughed, but he was still too angry. “If I had a choice, you’re the last person I would help,” he snarled.

Proto sat up and snarled back. “I don’t need this right now,  _ brother _ ,” he hissed. “Why don’t you get out of my face!”

“Get out of mine first!” Mega snapped. Proto scrambled back into a sitting position. Mega felt like screaming. His brother was purposely being as difficult as possible, but his own behavior wasn’t helping. Nothing about stooping to Proto’s level would help either of them get out of here.

But he couldn’t help it. His emotion circuits were going as haywire as the rest of his body, trapped in an uncontrollable feedback loop. Whatever was wrong with him, it was only getting worse.

Mega closed his eyes. _ I want to go home… _

# # #

Back at Dr. Light’s lab, the two scientists worked side-by-side in silence, barely acknowledging each other. They had been up all night trying to find their lost robots. Roll assisted when she could, and helped fuel them with food and coffee (begrudgingly, in Dr. Wily’s case), but even her brief exposure to the Sonic Obliterator had worn out her systems, and Dr. Light forced her to recharge for the night. Rush still needed repairs, but Dr. Light had no time to get him back to his feet. He had his hands full with both finding Mega and dealing with Wily.

Tempers flared in their work together, personalities clashing. After the fourth fight (and they had been fights, not merely disagreements), Dr. Wily declared that he was working on his projects alone. Dr. Light, somewhat regretfully, told his former partner that was just fine with him.

Dr. Light sighed, rechecking the readings. There were very few people in the world who could truly anger him, and Wily was at the top of that list. When they had been partners—and they truly were partners, for a long time—Wily’s faults were clear, but contained. He had always been impatient, but not his fuse was nonexistent. He had always been harsh, but now he was downright belligerent, the slightest setback sending him into a rage. 

It was no wonder his Robot Masters were constantly defeated. The man had imagination, but his inability to temper himself and accept his own flaws were passed down through his robots. Not that Dr. Light felt sorry for Wily. If it weren’t for Proto Man…

_ Proto Man _ . Dr. Light’s expression darkened. Dr. Wily flaunted his right-hand robot, calling him his greatest weapon, but neither Proto Man nor Mega Man were meant to be weapons. Both of them, as well as Roll, were more than tools, more than what they were made of, no matter what Wily thought.

As for Proto Man, Dr. Wily had no right to treat him the way he did. He was only a tool to Wily, a thorn to twist in Mega Man’s side. Though Mega talked tough about his brother, Dr. Light knew he was deeply conflicted about being forced to fight him. Proto Man didn’t seem to mind—he bragged about enjoying it—but Dr. Light doubted very much things were as they seemed. Proto’s constant efforts to get his brother to join him, the genuine pleading in his voice, hinted otherwise. Proto Man seemed wise enough to hide his true feelings, whatever they were, from Wily.

Dr. Light sighed. There was nothing he could do about the situation other than what he was doing now. Working with Wily was never good. His former partner, his former friend, was a betrayer at heart, and had proven it more than once. This time was different, but he still had to be careful. The longer it took to find them, the more likely it was Wily would come up with some sort of plot to come out on top.

One way or another, they were running out of time.

Dr. Wily was lost in his own thoughts, staring at the computer screen without really seeing it. His relationship with Proto Man as of late had become strained. Proto had been questioning Wily’s ideas more and more, something he rarely did before. He’d become more rebellious too, even arguing directly against Wily’s commands. He had yet to be outright disloyal, yet he was testing his boundaries. Figuring out how far he could stretch the line.

And for what? What was Proto Man really trying to accomplish? He still readily leaped into battle with his brother, though his endless pleas for Mega Man to join him annoyed Dr. Wily to no end. The blue pest would never willingly join their side, and Dr. Wily ruled out reprogramming him long ago. Too inelegant of a solution, not enough of a revenge to satisfy. It was never going to happen, and everyone knew it.

Everyone but Proto Man.

Wily found his patience for that delusion had thinned. His patience for a lot of things Proto Man did was becoming thin. Yet that didn’t mean he was ready to do without the robot. Proto was his greatest weapon, despite his failures, and far more competent than anyone else. He could be excused for having some fondness for the boy.

Dr. Wily shook his head sharply. Fondness indeed! He was beginning to sound like that infernal Dr. Light. How dare he imply Wily thought of Proto Man as his  _ son _ . Proto was a machine—a particularly willful one, but a machine nonetheless. The only thing more irritating than Dr. Light insisting otherwise was having to remind himself of that fact. The mission was to get back his rightful possession, nothing more.

Nothing more at all.

# # #

Proto quickly gave up trying to stare at his brother, an effort foiled both by his blindness and his visor, but he was obviously thinking about something long and hard. Mega was just as busy ignoring him. 

Proto finally reached a conclusion. “Sit up.”

Mega blinked at him. “Why?”

“‘Cause I want to talk to you, genius!” Proto snapped.

Mega raised an eyebrow, considering refusing, but he slowly sat up. “What is it?”

Proto didn’t answer at first, gathering his thoughts. “We have a truce, right?”

“We’re  _ supposed  _ to have a truce,” Mega retorted.

“We… I need to stick to it,” Proto said.

“Really,” Mega replied, rolling his eyes.

“I need—I’m going to need… your help.” The last two words were choked out, but they definitely got Mega’s attention. Proto Man was asking for  _ his  _ help? His brother, who didn’t need anyone, didn’t care about anything, and never would consider asking for help. Certainly not from his brother.

Mega studied Proto’s face, but it was blank and impassive. 

“What kind of help do you want?” Mega asked quietly. 

Proto turned his head away, as if ashamed he was asking. “I need you to remind me,” he said. “Remind me that while we’re down here, we’re on the same side. I need you to remind me that I can’t… hurt you just because I’m angry.”

Mega stared at him, astonished. That had almost been an apology, and from Proto Man of all people.

“I need you to remind me of something too,” Mega said.

Proto lifted his head. “Oh?”

“Remind me that even though I’m frustrated, that’s no reason to take it out on you,” Mega replied. “Agreed?”

Proto smiled. “Agreed.”


	6. Hope and Pain

“Dr. Light?”

Roll’s voice broke through Dr. Light’s concentration. He looked up, surprised her recharge cycle was finished already, but sunlight was streaming through the window. Somehow, without him noticing, it was well into morning. He smiled tiredly at her, putting down the datapad he was holding. 

“What is it?” Dr. Light asked.

Roll chewed her lip. “You haven’t slept at all Shouldn’t you take a break?”

“You know I can’t,” Dr. Light said with a sigh. “Not with Mega still out there.”

“I know, but...” Roll looked away. “Mega would want you to rest, even if he’s not—”

She stopped, hugging herself tightly. Dr. Light placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, glancing over to Dr. Wily. He had yet to take a break as well.  _ I guess I was right about you, Albert _ , Dr. Light thought. You do care about Proto Man.  _ I just can’t figure out why. _

“Let me talk to Dr. Wily first,” he said. “Then, I promise, I will take a short break.”

Roll looked about to protest, shooting Dr. Wily a fierce scowl, but she sighed and nodded. “I don’t know what you’ll get out of him, Dr. Light, but okay. I’ll make you a quick breakfast.”

“Thank you,” Dr. Light said, squeezing her shoulder. Roll shot Dr. Wily another dark look on her way out of the lab. 

Dr. Light approached the console Dr. Wily was hunched over. Part of the attempt to keep the peace between them (but mainly Roll) was banishing the Robot Masters from the lab. Most had been sent back to Skull Fortress after Wily declared them useless anyway. Guts Man and Cut Man waited in the Skulker, and Dr. Light had a sneaking suspicion they preferred it there.

“Dr. Wily,” he said, already braced for the inevitable fight.

Wily turned, a sneer on his face “Ja?”

“Why?” Dr. Light asked him. It was only one word, but it was enough.

Dr. Wily’s face twisted with a number of emotions, finally settling on annoyance. “Must you ask that question now?”

Dr. Light folded his arms. “You had no right to take our prototype and make him a weapon. You know that.”

“ _ My _ prototype,” Dr. Wily hissed. “You lost all claim to him when you chose to throw away our work. He is and will always be what I’ve made him to be.”

“You took his life and twisted it before he even had a chance,” Dr. Light retorted. 

“He is mine to do with what I choose,” Wily snapped. “I am his maker, and he is my weapon. Nothing you can say or do will ever change that.”

“He’s nothing but a weapon to you?” Dr. Light asked sadly. “I truly thought better of you, Albert. How sad that must be for both of you.”

“Spare me your sentiments,” Dr. Wily replied. “He is mine, and you cannot take him away from me. I’m only agreeing to this partnership to get my property back!”

With that, he turned his back on his former—now temporary—partner. Dr. Light sighed and walked away, sadness etched in his face.

From their hiding spot around the corner, Roll exchanged looks with Rush. 

“What was that all about?” Roll asked. Rush could only shrug as best a robo-dog could.

# # #

Mega Man talked in between giving directions. At first, Proto Man repeatedly told him to shut up (which Mega didn’t, probably just to spite him). Proto gave up after a while, deciding Mega’s chatter wasn’t really so bad. It certainly filled up the dark void they traveled through. Proto couldn’t see it, but he could feel it press against him in the stale, lifeless cave. Mega would certainly have it worse being able to see how bleak their situation was. It was probably why he wouldn’t shut up, trying to keep it at bay.

“So I said the creator was an idiot for not only creating the Sonic Obliterator, but letting it be stolen.” Mega paused, but his brother didn’t react. “That’s when Dr. Light said he was the creator.”

Proto chuckled. “That’s pretty pathetic,” he said.

Mega blinked. “I didn’t know you were listening!”

“It’s kind of hard not to, all things considering,” Proto replied.

A break in the ground caught Proto’s foot. He stumbled, Mega’s weight throwing him off. They both landed hard, Mega crying out in pain. 

“Mega Man! Are you all right?” Proto crawled blindly toward his brother, acting on instinct, not even thinking about what side he was on.

Mega grabbed Proto in a tight embrace, squeezing as pain shot through his body. “It hurts,” he gasped.

Proto carefully pried Mega’s grip loose and leaned him gently against a wall. “We should stop for the day anyway,” he said, shuffling to sit beside him. 

Mega said nothing, but he leaned his head against Proto’s shoulder. In seconds, he was asleep. Proto smiled at the touch, and fell asleep himself.

# # #

_ “Proto Man!”  _

_ The voice started Proto. He opened his eyes and looked around. He was surrounded by nothing but darkness, but he could see himself, strangely lit up. _ Not another dream!  _ he thought. _

_ “Proto Man, how dare you betray me.” The voice is hissed and deeply accented. Wily. _

_ “What are you talking about? I haven’t betrayed you!” Proto said. _

_ “Oh? What have you been doing for the past few days, eh? Helping my enemy! You even _ care  _ about him.” _

_ "Do not! Don't be ridiculous! Why would I care about him!? He's my… my brother." Proto Man hung his head. The last words had come out in a whisper. _

_ “Exactly,” sneered the bodiless voice. “You think I haven't noticed your pathetic attempts to win him over to the dark side? To your side? Ha!” _

_ Proto said nothing. _

_ “Do you really think he cares about you? Huh?” _

_ "But _ — _ " _

_ “He hates you. He hates everything about you, Proto. The very sight of you disgusts him.” _

_ "No! That's not true! It… it can't be.” Proto’s voice died in a whisper.  _

_ “But it is true, Proto Man. You’ll soon see for yourself.” _

_ "Shut up!" Proto fired aimlessly into the black void. He turned and ran, trying to escape the mocking laughter that followed him. _

_ Proto Man… _

_ “Proto Man!” _

# # # 

"Proto Man! Proto, wake up!" Mega said. "You're having a nightmare!"

Proto cried out and struggled against Mega's attempts to hold him still, still fighting his dream. His struggles were getting stronger. Mega tried desperately to stop Proto from hurting himself, without also hurting Mega's damaged legs in the process.

Proto suddenly woke up in a panic. Something was holding him, pinning his arms to his sides. "No! Get away from me!" he yelled, yanking away. He aimed his arm cannon, whipping it back and forth in a panic.

"Proto, it's me,” Mega said, jerking back. “No one's going to hurt you."

"Mega Man?" Proto lowered his blaster slowly. "Wha…"

"It's all right. You were dreaming. It's okay now." 

Proto felt his brother’s gentle hand on his shoulder, and flinched away from it. "You hate me, don't you?"

"What? Of course not. I don't hate you, Proto Man, I…" Mega trailed off.

"You what?" Proto said, disbelievingly.

Mega sighed. "Why do you think I hate you?"

Proto didn't answer. "Come on," he said, crawling over to Mega. "The sooner we get going, the sooner we get out of here."

Mega allowed Proto to pick him up and place him on Proto’s back. He sagged over Proto's shoulders, his hands circling his brother’s neck loosely. He was feeling tired again. Then the two of them continued on their seemingly endless journey through the underground.

# # #

"Proto?" Mega's sleepy voice broke through Proto's concentration. 

Proto stopped. "What is it, bro?"

Mega took awhile to answer. Since their second resting break, he had felt tired and weak. He senses felt dulled, and he had quickly lost interest in trying to maintain a conversation. "Can we take another break?"

"No." Proto's answer was sharp. It was the command of someone used to giving orders and having them obeyed. 

Mega bristled at the refusal, his weariness momentarily forgotten. “What's wrong with taking another break?"

Proto frowned. He wasn't used to having his orders questioned. "Because I said so."

"Jerk." mumbled Mega. He sagged a bit over Proto's shoulders. "Proto Man?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think they're looking for us?"

Proto stopped dead. Wily, look for him? He'd probably sneer and say that Proto was always a loser anyway. Good riddance to him, Wily would say. Not like Dr. Light, of course. Dr. Light would do everything and anything to find his robotic son. 

His grip tightened on Mega's legs, causing his brother to cry out. "Ow! What's the matter with you?"

Proto loosened his grip. "I don't really care," he said. 

Mega blinked. The answer sounded… forced. Proto didn't expect anyone to ever care about what happened to him. He hesitated before slumping down to hug his brother around the neck. "I care," Mega Man said softly as Proto rigid with shock. "Please, Proto. Can we rest now?"

Proto felt a variety of emotions go through him. Without thinking, he sank to his knees, allowing Mega to slip off his back and into a sitting position. He twisted around angrily to face toward Mega Man. "You… you did that on purpose!" 

Mega sighed. "Not everything I do is for my own benefit."

"Then why?" Proto demanded.

Mega smiled, although Proto Man couldn't see it. "If you come to the left of me, there is a cave wall you can lean on."

Proto shifted, although he tried to keep his face pointed in Mega's direction. It was almost impossible to tell that Proto was blind. He hid it like he hid everything else, another mask to hide who he really was. Mega wondered if he would ever see behind it, but he doubted it. Proto was as likely to share his secrets as he was to turn to the good side.

"I asked you a question." Proto said dryly, leaning against the wall. 

Mega felt the waves of weariness wash over him again. He slowly and carefully leaned forward, not wanting to startle his brother, and leaned his head against Proto’s lap. 

Proto sucked in a startled breath and froze up, but didn't try to pull away. He slowly reached out a shaky hand and touched the back of Mega's helmet. His brother was already asleep, innocent and trusting.

One twist right here and now would end his life. Not that Proto was going to hurt his brother. For Mega to trust him to this extent was… he didn’t have the words for it. Afraid to wake his brother, afraid of ruining the moment, he placed a protective hand on Mega’s back, and leaned back.

_ He does trust me.  _ Like they were real brothers. Like there was never any strife between them at all. Proto Man closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep as well, feeling, for a rare moment in his life, truly happy.

# # #

"I've found it!" Dr. Light's voice echoed joyfully throughout the lab. He waved around a small device in his hand. "I've found the signal!"

"Where?" demanded Dr. Wily. 

"It's right here, look!" Dr. Light pointed at the datapad. Two dots of light, one red, one blue, were blinking on and off. "And they're together!”

Wily took the data pad from Dr. Light's hand and studied it. "They're pretty far from the original point," he muttered.

"That means—" Dr. Light said.

"They're still functional!" Wily finished, his eyes brightening even as his face remained twisted in a scowl.

"They're alive?" Roll rushed into the lab, Rush on her heels. 

Cut Man and Guts Man, tired of waiting in the Skulker and summoned by the shouting, entered the lab shortly after.

"Ha! I told you Proto Man was too tough to croak like that!" jeered Guts Man, elbowing Cut Man in the side.

“All right, all right, just don’t tell Proto I bet money against him,” Cut Man grumbled.

"Silence!" Wily snapped, gathering the attention of everyone in the room. He pointed to the datapad. "We have to move out now if we want them to remain alive. Dr. Light! Do you know where this place is?"

Dr. Light took a close look. "Why, it's in the outskirts of the city, halfway to the lab!"

"Indeed,” Wily said. “They’ve been close this whole time.”

"What are we waiting for? Let's go find them!" cried Roll impatiently. 

Dr. Light turned toward her, slightly embarrassed that he had gotten caught up in his curiosity. "Yes. Dr. Wily?"

Wily turned toward his robots. "You! Take my Skulker and head back to Skull Castle and collect Crashman. Well?" he yelled as they stood there. "What are you waiting for? Get going! I will travel with Light to the location. Now go!"

They obeyed silently, without any cute one-liners for once. Dr. Wily turned back to Dr. Light and Roll, the former somewhat amused at Wily's nerve to invite himself along, the latter indignant.

"Come," Dr. Light said, giving Roll's shoulder a small shake before she could say anything. "The sooner we get there, the more chance they have at surviving."


	7. Wrapping Things Up

"Mega Man? Mega, get up!" Proto shook his little brother's shoulders desperately. Mega hung limply from his arms, still as death.  _ I shouldn't have let him sleep! _ Proto thought wildly. He shook his brother again, not knowing what else to do. Mega moaned and stirred in his brother’s arms, but Proto’s relief was short-lived as Mega Man suddenly went completely limp.

Proto breathing became short and ragged with panic. He had no way to help Mega Man. His own systems felt sluggish and slow when he woke, but Mega never even stirred. He wouldn't respond to his calls. He wouldn't respond to _anything_.

Proto gently leaned Mega against the cave wall. He was still functioning, at least. He had to get help, even if it meant leaving his brother. 

"You stay here, little bro. I'm going to get help," Proto said. He hesitated as Mega remained motionless before wrapping his arms around his brother, hugging him tight. "Don't go anywhere, okay?" 

Proto let go and stood up and almost collapsed just as quickly. He clutched his head as waves of dizziness washed over him, biting back a moan of pain. "What's  _ wrong  _ with me?"

_ It seems the Sonic Obliterator also emits a sonic frequency that affects mechanical circuits… You wouldn't have managed…suffering from the aftereffects of the blast… _

Dr. Wily's words came to him in a flash, breaking through his pain. Mega had gotten the worst of the blast, but it was now taking Proto down too. He forced himself upright, stumbling forward. He had to push through it. He had to get help.  _ I'll come back for you, I promise… _

It seemed like only seconds later when Proto tripped over a rock and fell again. He could feel his energy level sinking as he landed on his hands and knees, struggling not to lose consciousness.  _ Brother, I'm sorry… I tried… I really… _

Proto’s mind went blank as he collapsed, unconscious before he hit the ground.

# # #

"The signal is getting weaker! Oh, hurry, Dr. Light!" cried Roll. 

The lot of them—Dr. Light, Roll, Dr. Wily, Crash Man and Guts Man—rushed down the cavern as fast as the two old scientists could go, Rush on their tail. Wily was mad in many ways, but bringing Crash Man along had been a really good idea. He had quickly bombed his way into a long cave where the signals were coming from. None of the Robot Masters had any smart comments to make today, though Roll was braced for it. It seemed one look at their master’s face, pinched with exhaustion and what she was sure was imagined worry, would shut up any Wilybot invested in not ending up in the scrapheap.

Wily glanced back at Dr. Light. "The effects must have finally gotten to them. For once your cleaning bot is right!"

"I am not a cleaning bot!" Roll snapped.

"Now is not the time," interrupted Dr. Light. "We have to—by the Heavens!"

They had stumbled upon the body of Proto Man. Dr. Wily dropped to Proto Man's side immediately.

"He looks dead," Roll whispered in horror, unable to stop herself.

Dr. Wily barely glanced at her. "Nein. He is still breathing, which means his cooling system is still operational."

Dr. Light quickly knelt by Proto's other side to check his power gauge. "He is very low on power, but it seems to have steadied." 

Wily carefully picked Proto Man up so that he was cradling the robot’s upper body in his arms. He examined Proto closely, but besides a few dings and scrapes in his armor, Proto Man seemed undamaged. 

He looked up with a deep frown. "The damages must be internal if—"

Proto suddenly moaned and stirred in Wily's arms, cutting him off. "M-Mega Man…"

"Where, Proto Man? Where is Mega Man?" Dr. Light broke in, his voice low and worried. Proto Man turned slightly in Dr. Light's direction, though even that small movement seemed to be a struggle, his face twisted in pain. "He wouldn't wake up. I—I had to leave him, please… help…"

"Where is he, boy?" Dr. Wily's voice asked softly. Dr. Light looked sharply at Wily, his expression questioning. Dr. Wily met his gaze briefly, and for a moment, his eyes seemed to hold an emotion Dr. Light had thought him incapable of. A look of understanding passed between them. 

Wily turned his attention back to Proto Man, shifting his weight. 

Proto Man groaned softly at the movement. "He's back there. Please… help him."

"We will," Dr. Light assured. "Thanks to you, he'll be fine." 

Dr. Light caught Roll’s arm, and with a final nod to his rival, they rushed deeper into the cavern, Rush bounding after them.

“We could easily trap them down here,” Crash Man offered, waving his bombs at the walls.

“Leave them be.” Dr. Wily said, shaking his head. "Let's go."

"Do you want me to carry Proto Man, Dr. Wily?" Guts Man rumbled. Wily glared at him as he stood up, Proto Man safely cradled in his arms. "No. Get going already!"

Proto waved his free arm weakly. "What… about… Mega Man?" he asked slowly.

Dr. Wily frowned at him. "He will be fine. Rest now." 

Proto Man’s head fell back with a sigh as he blacked out again. Even though he was heavy, Wily carried him all the way back to his Skulker.

# # #

Dr. Light, Roll, and Rush had raced down the cave, desperately searching for Mega.

"Do you think Proto Man was telling the truth?" Roll asked worriedly. 

Dr. Light huffed. "He had no reason not to, He—look!"

Mega lay motionless ahead. Someone—most likely Proto Man—had leaned him against the wall. Dr. Light knelt by his fallen robot's side, eyes filled with worry.

"Mega Man!” Roll cried. “Oh, Dr. Light, is he going to be okay?" 

Dr. Light retrieved an energy can from rush and pressed it to Mega Man's lips, watching his power gauge closely. Roll tugged Mega Man's helmet off, revealing his unruly brown hair. For all the worry they went through, her brother looked almost peaceful, like he was merely asleep. 

Dr. Light let out a sigh of relief as Mega’s power slowly began to increase, and carefully picked him up. "He'll be fine, Roll.”

"You should let me carry him," Roll protested, but Dr Light calmly waved her off. 

"I'm not the frail old man I appear to be, you know," he said.

Roll bit her lip and hovered, watching her brother’s face closely. Mega tucked his face into Dr. Light's lab coat instinctively, and she giggled with relief. "He looks so cute!"

Dr. Light smiled gently. "Indeed. Let's go home, Roll."

# # #

It was hours later before Mega Man returned to consciousness. He woke up slowly, unaware of where he was. He was surrounded by something soft and cushy. His helmet and armor were missing, and the air was warm and still, unlike the cold and drafty cave air he had become used to. He opened his eyes slowly to find himself in his room, lying on his bed.

"How…?" Mega sat up, looking around in confusion. 

A soft knock on the door interrupted his tangled thoughts, and Dr. Light walked in. “You're awake,” he said, smiling. “The repairs I made to your system must be complete." 

He walked over to Mega's bed and sat down beside him, ruffling his son’s hair. 

Mega Man smiled back. "Boy, am I glad to see you, Dr. Light! Where's Roll?"

"She's sleeping,” Dr. Light replied. “She wanted to stay up all night and day waiting for you to wake up, but I wouldn't allow it. It's two in the morning, you know."

"Shouldn’t you also be sleeping? What about—” Mega’s eyes went wide. “Proto Man! He was in the cave, is he—”

“He’s safe,” Dr. Light said, placing a hand on Mega's shoulder. "If it weren't for him, we might not have found you in time."

Mega hesitated. "Does that mean…?"

"Yes, Mega, I'm afraid it does. Dr. Wily and I teamed up to look for you two. When we found Proto Man, his only thoughts were about you." He gave Mega Man's shoulders a gentle squeeze. "Can you tell me what happened down there?"

“My legs wouldn’t work,” Mega answered. “But Proto couldn’t see. How is that possible?

Dr. Light laughed, but not mockingly. "They're as good as new, Mega Man. Because of the complexity of the Sonic Obliterator, it emitted different sonic waves every other pulse, which in turn affected a different mechanical system different ways—"

"Dr. Light?" Mega Man broke in hesitantly. "Can I just get the short answer?"

Dr. Light laughed again, affectionately ruffling Mega's spiky hair. "It’s not worth the effort, I’m sure. The machine is long gone, and I promise I will never make anything so dangerous again."

“Good,” Mega said firmly. “You really teamed up with Wily?”

“Yes, and it was quite horrible,” Dr. Light said shortly. “I look forward to never doing that again either.”

Mega laughed, but his eyes soon went distant. “I had to team up with Proto Man too, and… it was weird. It was like I couldn’t control my emotions, and I don’t think he could either. One minute he was nice to me, the next he was furious.”

“It’s likely your fluctuating power levels was messing with your emotional circuits,” Dr. Light replied. “And I’m sure the stress of the situation didn’t help. How do you feel now?”

“Better,” Mega says. “I guess. But is… is it possible to… love someone and hate someone at the same time?"

“I believe…” Dr. Light trailed off, giving it some thought. “I believe it’s possible to love someone and hate what they do. Your brother does not make caring for him easy, but that doesn’t mean you should stop trying.”

He gave Mega a sidelong glance. “I have a feeling you have a long story to tell us."

"Yeah… I do." Mega Man said softly. “In the morning?”

“Much later in the morning,” Dr. Light said firmly. “Get some sleep, Mega. You’ve earned it.”

Mega Man smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Good night—er, morning, Dr. Light."

He settled back in bed after Dr. Light left, but his thoughts wouldn’t let him slip back into sleep so easily. He knew there was good in Proto Man. His brother had proven it in caring for him in the cave, despite his angry outbursts. There was more to Proto than what he pretended to be.

Mega Man closed his eyes with a sigh.  _ I love you, brother. One of these days, I’ll finally be able to tell you that. _

# # #

Proto Man stared at the ceiling of his quarters, trying to will himself to sleep. Dr. Wily had repaired the damage and cured his blindness. Amazingly, he had given Proto a few days off. Proto almost wished he didn’t. He’d rather have something occupy his mind rather than think about what happened in the cave. Instead, that was all he could think about, having his brother rely on him, having his brother trust him, wanting to really protect him for once, as if they were never enemies at all...

He turned on his side, sighing. It wasn't fair. But then… maybe it was. In the end, they would have just ended up fighting each other again anyway. Maybe it was better to have it end the way it did. No hesitations. No good-byes. No sense of ending what was always going to be temporary, no matter how desperately Proto wanted otherwise. 

Still, it was nice to be on his brother's side for awhile. Maybe one day they would be on the same side again. Until then, Proto would lock these memories away somewhere deep inside, where he could remember them with fondness, not bitterness. He could do that.

_ It was nice to be real brothers for once, wasn't it, bro? Maybe one day we'll do it again. Who knows? Maybe one day it’ll be permanent… _

**The End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S STILL VALENTINE'S DAY SOMEWHERE, have your sappy happy (?) ending.


End file.
